How should the elders in a local church deal with complicated situations involving the saints?
The elders in a local church must deal with all kinds of issues, including complicated situations involving the saints. A great temptation the elders face is getting entangled in determinations of right and wrong in disputes between saints. The proper function of the elders is to shepherd all the saints and minister Christ as life […]
What is the relationship between authority and fellowship?
The throne and the river should guide us in our practice of fellowship and help us to discern what is genuine spiritual authority. Some may claim a measure of spiritual authority, yet their way is not in the fellowship of the divine life and does not impart life. In extreme cases their assertions of authority […]
How do we deal with the flaming darts of the evil one?
The flaming darts are the attacks from Satan that are not only accusation and condemnation in our conscience, but also intimidation toward our mind and innumerable darts coming into our being. Ultimately, Satan’s target is to undermine the building up of the church. According to Eph 6:16, the shield against these flaming darts is faith. […]
What should our response be in the midst of turmoil?
The book of Philippians shows us the great need that believers have in times of turmoil. The church in Philippi was a very good church that participated with the apostle Paul in the furtherance of the gospel (Phil. 1:5-7; 4:14-19). However, it had two problems—Judaizers who sought to bring the believers back under the bondage […]
Why does it sometimes seem like there are generational rifts in the church?
If the younger ones do not receive from the older ones, the experiences gained and lessons learned will need to be repeated, and the advance of God’s move in His economy in and through His people will be seriously frustrated. Realizing this, Satan, the enemy of God and of God’s people, sows distrust and enmity […]
What is the proper ground for the building up of the Church?
Matthew 18:20 contains a wonderful promise: “For where two or three are gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” However, some have misused this verse to discount the need for local churches established and built up on the proper ground. They claim that the gathering of two or three in the Lord’s […]
What does it mean in Deut 30:19 when Moses says, “therefore choose life?”
As we seek to follow our Lord to fully possess Christ as our good land to build God’s habitation and establish His kingdom, these words have great significance to us today. Moses’ charge was based on all that he recorded in the Pentateuch. That history included not only God’s glorious work among His people but […]
As offenses inevitably accumulate in the church life, how and to what extent should we forgive one another?
As long as we are in the church life, offenses will occur, and the only solution to offenses is forgiveness. Such endless forgiveness from the heart is far beyond our natural human capacity, yet it is possible if we realize the extent of the Lord’s heart of forgiveness toward us and take Him as our […]
Should we only read the “pure word” of the Bible, and not receive anyone’s interpretation of it?
In Acts 8 Philip the evangelist met an Ethiopian man who was reading the prophet Isaiah (vv. 26-28; cf. 21:8). Philip asked him, “Do you really know the things that you are reading?” (v. 30). The Ethiopian responded, “How could I unless someone guides me?” (v. 31) and later, “I beseech you, concerning whom does […]
What is the story behind the libel lawsuits filed by LSM and a number of the local churches in 1980 and 2001?
Many saints do not know the story behind the libel lawsuits filed in 1980 and 2001, and some may be troubled because they do not know the facts surrounding those actions. The following article from Shepherding Words provides a very broad historical sketch of what occurred based on publicly available documents, including those from legal […]